Apparatus for tapering tubular shafts for golf clubs and the like



Aug 16, 1932 H. G. ARRETT APPARATUS FOR TAPERING TUBULAR SHAFTS FOR GOLF CLUBS AND THE LIKE Filed April l, 1929 Patented Aug. 16, 1932` -lereulsreres earner; eet-reef Y HAROLD" G." BARRETT, or WTLMETTE, immers, Assreiron To rYnAToNE :PnoDoTs CORPORATION, or cercado, rLLINOIs, A OoRronATroNorf rLLINOrs y 'Ikhisinveiition relates to improvements in i :APTARATI-is ron' TAPERHSTG TUBuLAia'sI-rArTs non GOLF'CLUBSVAND Tian LIKE "application-alsdann ,1, 192el serial Np. 351,599.'y Y

apparatus for tapering hollow ortubular shafts for golf clubs and the like, and one Of the objects of the invention-is to provide an improvedapparatus of this character by means, ofrwhich tubular-shafts of non-metall lic, hard and iexiblematerialand ofuniform diameter throughout their lengths may Y be tapered by subjecting the tube 'both ex-l ternallyl and internally toy the action of a heating medium such as steam, pressure be-VV *Y Aing exerted from the: inside-ofthe tube to force the tube to conform to the contour of a tapering mold Within Which it is located.

` further Objectis tosprovideimp'roved" means for cooling or shrinking the tapered tube thus formed, suciently, to permit 'the same tobe readily drawn out ofthe mold, and improved means for holding orf'maintaining the tube from shrinking longitudinally While it is being held vinthe nioleL Toothe attainment of these ends ,and the accomplishment of othernew and-'usefulob- Y -jects asWilly appear,the'invention consist's'in construction, combination and arrangement .of the severalY parts hereinafter; more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying' drawing illustratingthis inven-` tion, and in which;

Awithfthe'princplesfrof this invention. A g :i Figure, 2"isj a sectional view' taken fonfline -a+arigureirf l l f Figure f3 is an-elevation of a tube before the same is' placed inthe mold. f

tube after the Veter and constructedlof any sui-table material.

.Theendsof the casing are 'closed by means of end members 11-,f12` `and ksupported -within .the casing-by;mjean'S` 0f the end members is fa tapering mold 13 VWhich is constructed of any suitable` material capable of being heated from thelrffluts'ide as Well asthe'inside there- ,Ofi The ends of thenold 13 arejsupported by `either side of the casing theV end-members .11 and 12 ofthe casing 10. i

inlet pipe 14 has communication with the interior ofthe casing 10 and exterior of the mold 13, andan'outlet pipe 15 leads fromV l ,such casing. v o o Y 1 'Disposed adjacent the endmembers lland A12 are respectively arranged separable mem bers 16-17 Which are guided against ,theA

'ends of the casing 10 and the end members 11k Y and 12 by means of suitable guides'lS-el, and the proximate faces .'offtherespeotive members 16-17 are grooved so as to conform to-and engage theadjacent extremities of the tube 20 when the-latter is placed in the mold13. Y

The niembersl and 17 are adapted to .be simultaneously separated .in any suitable manner preferably by means. of bell crank levers ,'21-22 pivotally supported intermediate their ends respectively as at 23-24. The levers 21Hare providedvvith bifurcated extremities 25 :which engage lugs V261011 the respective members 16,: the lugs `moving in suitable slots 27. in the guide'members.

VSimilar bifurcatedportionsQS are yprovided yon one end, of the bell-crank levers22 fand these bifurcated portions engage-lugs 29 connected with the Vmembers-17 and which pass throughy suitable yslots 30 in' the .guide y Y -member.,I v A l sFigurel is a side elevationofan apparatus Y 4Ofthis character constructed,linaccordance The other ends.V of thevrespective leversl v21V-L22 arecomiected by means of links y31-32 Withza member 33 pivotally supportedr` as" at .34e and to-which member 33 is connected. an

operating handle 35 so vthat Whenthe handle l35 is operated to rockv the member 33 'about its pivot the respective Vbell crank levers `Will separate the respectiveend members 16e-17 so as toy permit the tube, after it hasbeen shaped, to be Withdrawn from: the mold and mold.L ,The

links and-be.A arranged on Whenthe tube is placedinto the moldv 13 it Will-beef a length to extend beyondthe ends ofthe mold so, that when thev'respective eo. falso to permit a tube to beinsertedyintothe 1 of the members 16-17 are respectively recessed as at 36-37 for a purpose to be set forth.

A nozzle 38 is suitably supported preferably upon a member 39 pivoted as at 40 so as to swing back and forth with the member 39 when the latterV is operated.` A catch. 41 vis pivotally connected as at 42I with the member 39 and is4 provided with a handle 43 together with a shoulder 44,' the latter being adapted to engage over a portionv 45'of` thesupport 46 for the casing 10, and connected withvthe. nozzle 38 by nieansof afle'X'ible connection V47 is a valve easing 48 having a valve `therein operable by means of a handle 49.

An i-nl'etpipe 5()V for a Vcooling.*medium is connected' with the valve. casing 48 and an inlet pipe 51 for a heating medium is also conneetedfwith the valvev casing 48 so that by operating the handle 49 either a cooling or heating fluid-mayV be directed vthrough the -nozzle 38. The-nozzle is radapted to be inserted/intothe end-y of the Atube 20 and torbeV secured in such "positionwhen thel catch 4l is in the'position shown' inFigure l.-

Aj similar nozzle 52 is Vmounted, upon a swinging support 53, the latter being pivoted as at'54. VA cateh-55 is pivotally connected asv at `iwith the support 53 and is provided with a shoulder 57 and a handle 58. They shoulderl 57 is adapted to engage over a por# tionf. 59. ofi a support 60 for the casing; 10. rlhe nozzle 52 is adapted `to be adjusted in the same manneras the nozzle 8S and the end thereof inserteclinto the other end of the tube 20, and connected with the nozzle 52'by means of a flexiblejconnection Slis. a .valve 62 for controlling the eonneetion.

Thus it--will be seen when the valve 62 is closed andthe valve48 opened so asto admit the heatingmedium, it'ivill flow through the` pipe 20 to soften the, latterfpor render it pliable and the pressure exerted bythefheat- 'ing medium on the inside ofthepipe 2O will expand and taper the same by causing it toconform to theveontouik ofthe mold 13; The ends ofthe tube whiehareiclamped or held bythe end members 16s-17 will notbe expanded, butv shoulders will be formed lat the extremities'of the tube'20,` as shownanore Y clearly in Figure .4' and'these shoulders togetherV withithe clamping membersflG--lv will hold the tube from shrinking length'- wise. The heating medium -which is delivered into the casing. 10 'through the pipe 14 will heat the mold from the outside thereof, thereby keeping'the latterY hot so that when the tube is placed into the mold. and the heating medium discharged into thetube,'it. will be pfsoftened from boththe inside and outside.

" When the heating medium is turnedoifv and the Valve 48adjustedso as to permit a cooling medium from the pipe 50v to--bed'e- 1 livere'd through thenozzle 383the'coo1ingme- '20g when desired.

dium will flow through the tube 20 and this will cause the tube 20 to shrink j ust sufficiently to permit it to be 'drawn out of the mold Without chilling the entire mold causing the tube to be readily removed without sticking to the mold.

"Obviously the valve 62 may 'be opened f when desired to permit the heating medium orrthe coolingmedium to flow out of the'tube z After the tubehas-been thus'shaped the Y Y .extremitiesthereof may be .cutoff to any vvlengthdesired;

v'l'rhroughoutthespecification and claims Wherever the term shaft isV employed, it is to beaunderstood that the same lis to'. beloonstrued broadly tomeaneitherI av shaft ora tubeorboth. v M' i.

Y While the preferred form of the. invention has been hereini shoWnand deseri-bed it Ais rto be understood that various changes maybe made inthe details ofconstructionf-andi'in the. combination and arrangement of thefsev? eral parts', within the-scope of thefclaims,

without departing from the spirit of thisin- A 1.-.' An apparatusfor expanding andltaperi ing hollow non-metallic shafts,` embodying a closed. casing, an open endedy tapering mold within'and spaced' from theivwall of theieas- Ving,"means for supplying a heating medium tov the casing outsidexoffthe 'mold7 ymeans :for clamping the ends ofatubeinserted intol the tapering! mold andl VforV holding the tube against longitudinal shrinking, means 'for introducing a heating fluid into the 'shaft to soften'v and. shape. the. shaft, means forl introducinga cooling fliui'd into the shaft, means for selectively controlling thelastv two recited means and means common tosaid! clamping means forV rendering? them` active and' inactive.- l 1 i n 2; An apparatus forgexpandi'ng 'af hollow shaft of non-metallic materialy of a normally v'uniforml *dia-meter;A embodying a closed` feasnig 3f "1110191the/frein Supported by and open.

lilo p ing through :the ends of theiCasing-andifinto the mold whereby. the shaft-maybe". drawn Afout of*the11nol il'.1.1 5

1 3. Anv apparatus 'for'expanding andtal-pera hollow 'shaft of"nonfmetallic-material of anormally uniform diameterg'embodying a closed casing, a tapering mold therein supported by and opening through the 'ends of the Vcasingand Vinto which mold the shaft is inserted,'said mold being of an externalfdiameter considerably vless than the internal diameter of the casing, means forV supplying a heating medium to the casing about the mold, clamping members adjacent ,each end of the shaft for clamping the ends of the y shaft to hold the shaft from longitudinal 'p shrinking movement, means for expanding Y the shaft in said mold, means for causing the shaft to dsengage Vthevvall of the mold whereby the shaft may be drawn out of the mold, and means for simultaneously rendering the said clamping members at both ends of the mold inactive to release said-shaft.

4E.' An apparatus for expandingand'taper- Y ing a hollow shaft of non-metallic material Y of a normally uniform diameter, embodying Y a closed casing, a tapering mold therein supported by and Opening through the end lof the casing and into Whichmold the shaft -is inserted, said InoldbeingofaneXternal div ameter considerably less4 thanthe internal Y diameter of the casing, means forsupplying a heating medium tol the casing about the f v mold, clamping members adjacent each end Vtil) Y of the shaft. for clamping the ends of the shaft to hold the shaft from longitudinal.

shrinking movement, means for expanding the shaft in said mold, the outer faces of said clamping members being recessed and into Which recesses the extremities of the tube are deflected, and means whereby a cooling medium maybe circulated through saidshaft to release the latter with respect tothe mold.-

Inv testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication, on this 12th' dayof March, A. D. 1929. Y HAROLD G". BARRETT.- 

